Suction controlled louver



March 30, 1954 E. N. HANKS 2,673,514 SUCTION CONTROLLED LOUVER Filed June 19, 1950 fa/soxv /V. HAN/11S IN ZEN TOR.

A TTORNE'Y strip by means of a ?afented Mar. 30, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT 'OFLFI CE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to air grilles and more "particularly to ceiling grilles for use with air blowers.

In many applications ceiling grilles are employed with fans which draw air from within a room and expel it to the outdoors. For example,

atticfans are often employed to draw the warm air from within a room and into the attic from whence'it is 'movedto the outdoors. The ceiling grilles employed in such installations must be opened when the attic fan is placed in operation Accordingly it is an object of my'invention to provide a new and improved air grille.

It is another object of my invention to provide anew and improved ceiling grille.

It is another object matically with the commencement and cessation of operation of the fan.

It is still another object of my invention to provide a new and improved ceiling grille which opens and closes noiselessly.

Briefly stated, my new and improved ceiling grille comprises a plurality of overlapping arched looped, flexible tapes. The upper overlying edges of the vanes are movably connected to a top looped flexible tape which passes through appropriate apertures provided in the vanes adjacent the upper overlying edges. The lower surface of the top strip adjacent the vanes is so shaped that the top strip at no point makes contact with prevent all contact between the vanes, between the vanes vanes. The looped tapes the top strip and and the supporting members, and between the vanes themselves. Since the tapes are of soft material, no noise is produced during opening and of the vanes. A fan is mounted above the vanes and when in operation, pulls a draft of air up between the vanes. The moving air impinges on the arched undersurfacesof the vanes and raises the vanes to nearly vertical positions, thus openclosing movements 0 side 1'8 of grooved strip ing the ceiling .grille. operate, the .updrart In the drawing,

Figure 1 is a perspective view. partly cut away, of an embodiment of the ceiling grille of my invention installed in a ceiling;

.Figure v2 is a sectional view taken along line 22 of Figure 1, the fan of Figure .1 not being shown;

Figure 3 is a perspective view, partlycut away, of the ceiling-grille of Figure .1 showing a slightly modified form ,of the top strip illustrated in Figure 2.; and

Figure ,4 is an enlarged sectional view showing in detail the :manner n which the looping tapes members H and I2 and end members [3 and M. A bottom strip 1'5 is secured to end members 13 and I4 andliesparallel to and between side members II and I2. Lyingimmedia'tely above bottom strip I5 is abottom grooved strip It provided with adownwardlylfac'ing groove H. The upper I6 is provided with a plurality of apertures 119 through which extend the loops 20 of aflexible member 2|, which may "be a fabric tape. .Endstrips, such as end strips 22, 23, and 2'4, the fourth end strip not being visible in the drawing, .are fastened to end members l3 and ,Ill while side strips, such as side strip 25, the other not being visible in the drawing, are fastened to side members I and "I 2. The end strips and the .side strips are of the same thickness as strip 16in order to avoid unsightly gaps between these stripsandthe vanes 1'26.

The vanes 26 extend outwardly beyond the inner sides of side members ill and I2 andlie in overlapping relation "to each other. An .aperture 21 'is providedin each vane -26 adjacent .the lower-or overlappededge of each vane 26. flexible member J21 is-drawn through each ture 19 in grooved .strip 16, through the aperture 21 in an adjacent vane 26, and back through aperture |9 into groove ll of strip US to form the loops 2B and movably and pivotally secure the lower or overlapped edges of vanes 28 to strip l6 and therefore to frame Hi. Each free end of member 2| is doubled back and firmly secured to strip IE by any suitable means, such as a tack, not shown, in order that the flexible member 2| may not work free. The side strips, such as the strip 25, may be grooved as at 25a and provided with similar flexible members 251) lying in the groove and looped as at 250 through longitudinally spaced apertures in the strip 25 and engaging aligned apertures in the vanes 26 to secure the vanes adjacent their ends. Or, if desired, only the side strips, such as strip 25, could be provided with flexible members to movably secure the vanes 26 with strip H being a solid strip and not provided with a flexible member.

It will be noted, Figure 4, that the lower or overlapped edge of each vane 26 can be supported entirely on the flexible member 2|, the lower edge of vane 26 not contacting the upper surface of strip it. Since the upper surfaces of side strips, such as strip 25, and the surface It lie in the same plane, the lower edges of vanes 26 will not contact the side strips. Any slight possible contact of vanes 26 with the side strips or strip 2.5 will not produce an appreciable noise upon relative movement between these components since the area of contact is necessarily very small. A top strip 3 which may have a straight upper surface, Figure 2, or a grooved upper surface, Figures 3 and 4, is disposed above vanes 26 and preferably intermediate their ends overlying bottom strip it. Top strip 28 is provided with a plurality of spaced apertures 29 through which are drawn the loops 36 of a flexible member 3i. Each vane 25 is provided with an aperture 32 adjacent its upper or overlapping edge. The flexible member 35 is drawn through each aperture 29 in top strip 28, the aperture 32 in the adjacent vane 28, and then back through each aperture 29 to form the loops 3% and movably secure top strip 28 to the upper or overlapping edges of vanes 2E. The ends of flexible member 3| are secured to strip 28 by any suitable means such as tacks 3|.

It will be noted that the bottom side of strip 28 is shaped to conform somewhat to the shape of the upper sides of vanes 26. Due to this conformation of the bottom side of strip 23, strip 28 never comes in contact with the vanes 2% as is clearly illustrated in the drawing. lhe flexible member 3| is interposed between the possible points of contact of strip 28 and vanes 2%. Moreover, the overlapping edge of a vane 25 does not contact the lower or overlapped edge of its neighboring or adjacent vane 26 since the portion of flexible member 3| forming loop 3% lies between the overlapping and overlapped edges of two adjacent vanes 26. As a result, a gap exists between each pair of vanes since flexible member 3| maintains each vane separated from every other vane.

Since either flexible member 2! or flexible member 3| is interposed between possible points of contact of any two members of the ceiling grille which could produce noise by their contact, opening and closing movements of the ceiling grille are practically noiseless, flexible members 2| and 3! being of fabric do not produce noise even when vanes 25 drop suddenly upon one another. The movable upper strip 28 maintains even spacing between vanes 26 when they are moved from their normal position by the fan.

The ceiling grille may be installed in a ceiling between a pair of joists 33 and 34 by means of nails or in any other conventional manner. Reinforcing members, such as the member 35, may be secured between the joists 33 and 34. A fan, indicated generally by the numeral 36, is then mounted over the ceiling grille in any conventional manner. When the fan is turned on, it pulls the air upward through the interstices between vanes 25. The updraft of air impinges the undersurfaces of vanes 26 and forces them to a nearly vertical position when fan 36 is running at full speed. Vanes 26 are arcuate in form in order to facilitate the raising of the vanes 26 by the force of the air drawn by fan 36.

The frame to may be constructed of wood as may be all the strips. The Wooden members and strips of the ceiling grille may be fastened together where necessary, by any conventional means such as nails or glue. Vanes 26 are preferably formed of a light, easily cleaned substance. Vanes 26 of aluminum have been found to have the desired properties and are preferred over vanes of other materials.

It will be apparent in light of the foregoing discussion that the ceiling grille of my invention is almost completely noiseless in operation and of simple construction. This ceiling grille is also automatic in operation since vanes 26 will open whenever fan 36 is turned on and will close whenever the fan is stopped.

While I have described and illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from my invention and I, therefore, aim in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A ceiling grille comprising a frame having a central opening; a plurality of vanes having overlapping edges and adapted to close said opening when disposed in substantially horizontal position; a pair of side members on said frame below the ends of said vanes, each of said side members having a longitudinal groove and a plurality of longitudinally spaced apertures, said vanes having apertures adjacent their lower edges aligned with said longitudinally spaced apertures, a tape disposed in the groove of each of said side members and looped in the apertures of said vanes through the apertures of said side members to pivotally secure said vanes to said frame; and a member overlying said vanes transversely, each of said vanes having an overlapping upper edge pivotally secured to said overlying member, said vanes being adapted to be pivotally moved from their substantially horizontal positions by upward movement of air through said opening in said frame.

2. A ceiling grille comprising a plurality of overlapping vanes, each of said vanes having an overlapped edge and an overlapping edge, each of said vanes being provided with a first aperture adjacent said overlapped edge and a second aperture adjacent said overlapping edge; an apertured fixed member on said frame beneath said vanes; a first flexible member lying longitudinally below and attached to said fixed member and forming spaced loops passing through said first apertures and the apertures of said fixed member to pivotally secure said overlapped edges of said vanes to said fixed member, a movable member above said vanes; a second flexible memadapted to be moved pivotally to non-horizontal positions by the upward movement of air past and between said vanes.

3. A ceiling grille comprising a plurality of overlapping vanes, each of said vanes having an overlapped edge and an overlapping edge, each of ture adjacent said overlapping edge;

member on said frame disposed beneath said vanes and provided with a plurality of spaced apertures; a first flexible member afiixed longitudinally to the underside of said fixed member and looped through said first apertures and said spaced apertures of said fixed overlying said and provided with a plurality of spaced apertures; and a second flexible member aflixed longitudinally to the uppivotally to non-horizontal positions by the upward movement of air past said vanes.

4. A ceiling grille comprising a frame, a pluvided with a plurality of spaced last mentioned loops pivotally securing one of said overlapping e ges to said movable member, said vanes being adapted to be moved pivotally to non-horizontal positions by the upward movement of air past said vanes.

5. In combination: a ceiling grille aperture adjacent its upper overlapping edge, a fixed member on said frame and having spaced apertures and also having a longitudinal groove in its lower surface, a first tape in said groove of said fixed member having loops extending through said spaced aperhorizontal positions to non-horizontal positions and maintaining said vanes in non-horizontal positions as long as said fan remains 6. A ceiling grille comprising a frame, a pluber by the loops in the tape of said movable mem- EDISON N. HANKS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,165,292 Morse et al July 11, 1939 2,225,885 Penman Dec. 24, 1940 2,464,000 Schild Mar. 8, 1949 

